I’ve trained when I’m under the weather, exhausted, even with a broken arm before, but it wasn’t as challenging as my recent week of training was. The reason it was so challenging was because there were a multitude of stresses on my system. They added up over a week’s time:
1) My spine was incorrectly adjusted while on vacation in Turkey, and I ended up feeling like slow moving reptile.
2) The Nimble studio had a massive flood the day after I got back from vacation
3) I felt ill from the fumes of our studio demolition.

No, I’m not trying to complain (although if you trained with me during this week, you probably noticed my struggle) or looking for pity, just articulating some circumstances that eventually affect all of us in life.  Getting to the point–when stresses rise in your life, that is the time to be even more diligent with your healthy habits. Getting more rest, drinking more quality water, eating a healthy organic diet, limiting your alcohol/caffiene intake, and staying in touch with friends and loved ones. Many of us have been programmed to do the opposite; when stress goes up its a green light to drink more, use coffee to stay with the pace, eat less healthy or not at all. All of these habits add to your stress, which can become a kind of “comfort zone” to deal with life’s challenges. We now understand that feeling uncomfortable–getting out of old habits–is often associated with what I see as shifts in growth. Life happens, and you have to be prepared to handle stress at a high level, so it doesn’t take you out of your health zone. Staying healthy under stress also allows you to keep a clear head so that you can make accurate decisions on how to navigate.

If you don’t back yourself up with healthy habits, stressors can grow into much bigger problems, like disease. Make it your intention to live healthier, even as stress at home, work or life goes up, understanding that sometimes these stresses we face are there to facilitate a deeper shift of consciousness and self-awareness. This shift in intention will keep you lighter, healthier, happier and more energetic in the long run. Often life’s challenges are tests of your will and ability to be present and loving during such challenging times. Let right now be the moment you handle stress with love of self.
START TODAY!

Here are some practical ways to manage stress:

1. BREATH! Take a belly breath! Having a few breathing exercises at hand is key when trying to produce a relaxation response. Try this one: Lie down on the floor and put a book under your head to create a comfortable head position (chin and forehead in alignment). If you really want to set yourself up, put a pillow under your knees. Begin by asking your body to be heavy and completely relaxed. Start breathing with your hands on your belly to help cue the movement of the breath into the diaphragm. When you feel that you have a nice full and easy belly breath happening, move your hands onto your rib cage. Now send your breath into your ribs and feel how they rise slightly. Next, relax your arms to your side and move your breath into your back. Feel the floor become resistance. Sixty percent of our lungs are located in our back body, so feel how three-dimensional you actually are! During this process, keep asking your muscles to relax and your body to be heavy. Feel the space and relaxation you have created by gaining a new awareness of your breath. Yeh mon!

2. YOUR GREATEST WEALTH IS HEALTH! What’s more important than being healthy? All the money in the world does not matter much when you feel like crap. To be consistently healthy, take daily action with your healthy habits. My rule is mandatory Monday workouts. It starts my week out with flowing energy and sets me up for success. Go and take a yoga class or give a tai-chi class a shot. Choose non-processed and whole live foods that support the recovery you need when healing your body from stress. Another good rule of thumb is to stay away from consuming too much caffeine, because it adds stress to a system that is already stressed. Take some action every day!

3. STOP WATCHING THE NEWS! AND FREE UP YOUR SCHEDULE. Listen, the media loves when they can inspire fear in their viewers. They’re in the business of stealing your time and hooking your thoughts to their programs. Giving the news a break can free up some time for you, and that means paying attention to some key health habits that otherwise might get neglected.

4. YOU GUESSED IT: SLEEEEEEEEP. Do you make it a point to maintain a consistent sleep cycle? You will be giving your mind and body time to recover strength and energy and be better equipped to handle any stressors that arise throughout the day.

5. BUILD YOUR RESILIENCE AND OBSERVE YOUR THOUGHTS. Remember change is always happening. Your perception of that change is how it will be for you. Become an observer of your thoughts. If you find yourself thinking negatively, ask yourself why. At some point in our lives we have to become our own best friends and be present enough to choose thoughts that are in alignment with our dreams. Resilient people have great friends, view change as a normal part of life, see most problems as solvable, take daily action and know how to relax.